Rail-joint



3 sheets-Sheet 1- M g NILES. RAIL JOINT- (No Model.)

' No. 484,226. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

Mimi!!! 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. G. NILES.

RAIL JOINT (No Model.)

Patentd Oct. 11

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. M. G. NILES.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

M 1 E: ig: n

To all whom it may concern;

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON o. NILES, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,226, dated October 11, 1892.

Application filed July 28, 1891. $erial No. 400,955. (No model.)

Be it known that I, MILTON O.NILEs,acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Oak Park, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of rail joints known as trussjoints, in which the strain upon the parts of the joints is transmitted to the rails connected and supported thereby, and has for its prime object to produce a truss of which a wedge constitutes a part and by the operation of which the joint is tightened upon the rail as distinguished from the truss-joints heretofore in use, in which the tightening operation is solely dependent upon screw-bolts. This object is attained by thedevices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a rail-joint embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section through the rail'on one side of the joint, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and showing the relative position of the parts before the joint is tightened; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the position of the parts when the joint is tightened; Fig. 4, a central longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of one of the truss-plates; Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, views of a modification of my invention in which only a single truss-plate is used instead of two, as in the preferred construction; and Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15, views of another modification of myinvention in which the trussplate and wedge are directly supported upon the clamping-plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the rail, and B a pair of rectangular clamping-plates vertically disposed at the sides of the rails and provided with horizontal lips or projections 0 along the upper edges thereof, overhanging and bearing upon the flanges of the rail. The body of these plates extends down a suitable distance below but parallel with the rail, and are held apart by means of struts D,provided with reduced squared ends E, fittinginto corresponding perforations in the plates near the ends thereof, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The upper faces of these struts, which are preferably square or rectangular in cross-section, are formed on double reverse inclines F and G, each of which inclines downwardly toward the center from the ends of the struts and constitute rests for a pair of truss-plates H, extendinglongitudinally beneath the rails, with their ends resting upon the struts, respectively. The bottoms of the rails rest directly upon these truss-plates, thetops of which arelslightly curved,so that only the central portions thereof are in contact with the rails, as illustrated in Fig.4, while the lower faces of the ends of the truss-plates are beveled to correspond with the respective inclines of the upper faces of the struts, which latter are thereby caused to subserve the double p-u rpose of struts for. holding the lower ends of the clampingplates apart and of supports for wedges operating to raise the truss-plates wheneverthe latter are moved outwardly along the struts. This latter operation is accomplished by means of screw-bolts I, working freely through perforations in the clamping-plates near each end thereof and against the outer surface of which plates the heads of the bolts impinge, while the inner screw-threaded ends thereof work through corresponding screw-threaded perforations J in the truss-plates, so that when these bolts are located the truss-plates will be caused to move laterally, riding up or down the incline on the struts, and thus in eifect operating as wedges between the strut and the bottoms of the rails, to not only tighten the joint upon the rails but also to furnish a support for the rails against the weight of a passing train. The operation of this the preferred form of my invention will be readily understood by an inspection of Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. 7

v The clampingplates, after being placed in position, are connected by the struts, and then the wedging-platesm'iththeir actuating-screw bolts, are inserted in position. The first result of operating the screw-bolts in the tightening operation is to draw the clampingplates inwardly until the inner vertical faces thereof bear against the shouldered ends of the struts and the edges of the rail-flanges. A further operation of the tightening-bolt then causes the truss-plates to wedge tightly between the struts and the bottoms of the rails until the movement of all the parts is brought to a stop by the bearing of the hooks or projectionsO of the clamping-plates upon the tops of the rail-flanges.

strain from the weight of a passing train on the rails the strain will be transmitted through the truss-plates to the struts and from them to the clamping-plates and from them back to the tops of the rail-flanges.

a single truss-plate L is employed immedi-' ately under the abutting ends of the rails and operated by a singlescrew-bolt Min sub stantially the same manner'as the truss-plate of the preferred construction, there being only one strut employed in this case having a single inclined face and one screw-bolt for operating the single truss-plate, while addi'tional strengthening or tightening bolts vN extend between and connect the clamping-3 plates near the ends thereof. In other respects the operation of the device is identical with that of the preferred construction. In Fig. 7 the position of the parts before the joint is tightened is illustrated, while in'Figs. :6, 8,.and 9 the position of the parts when the joint is finally tightened and in itsoperative position is illustrated.

In Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15 I haveillustrated still another modification of my-invention in which the wedging truss-plate extendstransversely instead of-longitudinally of the rail and is supported directly upon the clampingplates instead of upon the struts, as in the construction before described. In this'case the wedging truss-plate is U -shaped, the parallel sidesO of which have the upper horizontal or level faces, upon which the abutting ends of the adjacent rails'rest,'and lower longitudinally-inclined faces P, which work through corresponding perforations in the clamping-plates, between which they extend and by which they are supported, the lower or inclined faces of the arms O-causing the latter to operate as a wedge when moved through the perforations in the clampingplates. This Wedge truss-plate is operated by a screw-bolt Q, lying between the sides of said plate, the head of which bearsagainst the outer side of the clamping-platenext to the open or disconnected ends of the trussplate, while the opposite screw-threaded end thereof works freely through a perforation in the other clamping-plate and the bridge or arch R, connecting the arms 0 of the truss- Oonse quently whenever the joint is subjected to If found desirable, a brace-platesuch as that plate, and has working thereon a nut S, which when screwed onto the bolt operates to force the wedging truss-plate laterally through the clamping-plates, and th us wedge it firmly between the clamping-plates and the bottoms of the rails. The struts in this case subserve only the single function of holding the lower edges of the clamping-plates a fixed distance apart,land additional tightening-bolts T, similar to those N of the last-described construction, are provided at each end of' the clamping-plates for the purpose of giving additional strength and stiffness to thejoint and relieving the tightening-bolt Q of the trussplate from the strain, so as to prevent the possibility of the spreading of the clamping-plates. In operation this joint is substantially the same as that of the preferred construction, the only difference being that the strainupon the truss-plate is transmitted directly therefrom totheclamping-platesinstead oftltrough the intermediary of the struts. It willrbe observed that a'll of these structures possess the common, characteristics of a wedging trussplate, the wedge forming apart of the joint and-operatingto tighten the same :upon the rail, while at the same time subserving :the purpose of supporting and transmittingythe strain to the otherparts of the joint.

Having describedmy invention, what I desire to claim and secure byLetters'Patent is 1. Ina rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the independent clamping-plates provided with overhanging projections-engaging the rail-flanges, and struts extending between said-clamping plates below the rail, of wedging truss-plates separate from said clampingplates and upon which the rails are supported and means for operating said trussplates,'substantia1ly as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the independent clamping-plates provided'with overhanging projections engaging the rail-flanges, and struts extending between said clamping-plates below the rail and being independent of said clamping-plates, of a wedging truss-plate upon whichthe rails are supported and screw-bolts for operating said truss plates, passing through both of said said clamping-plates 'and being independent thereof, and the bolt passing through said wedge and through both of said clamping plates under the rails, substantially asset forth.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination, withthe rails, of clamping-plates having overhanging projections resting uponthe foot flanges of the rails, a wedge supported by said clamping-plates and being independent thereof, a bolt passing through said Wedge and through both of said clamping-plates under the rails,

and the strut arranged between said clamping-plates below said bolt, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, of clamping-plates having overhanging projections supported by the footflanges of said rails, a U-shaped wedge having arms 0, supported by said clamping-plates, a bolt passing through said wedge between the arms thereof and through both of said clampingplates under the rails, and a strut arranged between said clamping-plates below said bolt, substantially as set forth.

6. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the clamping-plate provided with overhanging projections bearing upon the rail- Witnesses:

R. O. OMOHUNDRO, MANTON- MAVERICK. 

